Legislative Update
Housing
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| HB 6 - Brink - Constitutional amendment; exempts certain homeowners from taxation (submitting to qualified voters). | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Incorporated by Privileges and Elections (HB11-Albo) | 01/25/08 |
| notes: "Homestead exemption" - Provides for a referendum at the November 2008 election on approval of a proposed constitutional amendment relating to property tax exemptions. The proposed amendment authorizes the General Assembly to enact legislation that will allow localities by ordinance to exempt or partially exempt from real property taxes, or defer real property taxes on, up to 20 percent of the value of residential or farm property that is the owner-occupant's primary dwelling and lived in continuously. | |||
| HB 36 - Scott, J.M. - Fair housing law; unlawful discriminatory housing practice. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Left in General Laws | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Adds discrimination based on sexual orientation as an unlawful discriminatory housing practice. | |||
| HB 44 - Scott, J.M. - Manufactured Housing Board; grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of a license. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0350) | 03/11/08 |
| notes: Provides for the Manufactured Housing Board to deny, suspend, or revoke the license of a manufactured home broker, dealer, manufacturer, or salesperson that has a substantial identity of interest with a licensee of the Board whose license has been revoked or not renewed by the Board in a previous action. The bill defines substantial identity of interest as (i) a controlling financial interest by the individual or corporate principals of the manufactured home broker, dealer, or manufacturer whose license has been revoked or not renewed or (ii) substantially identical principals or officers as the manufactured home broker, dealer, or manufacturer whose license has been revoked or not renewed by the Board. | |||
| HB 71 - Marshall, R.G. - Building permit; localities may adopt provisions for assessment of impact fees prior to issuance. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Left in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Allows localities to adopt provisions for the assessment of impact fees prior to issuance of a building permit. The impact fees may be assessed in relation to the adequacy of education, transportation, parks, or public safety needs. Such fees shall be a pro rata share of the costs of reasonable and necessary capital improvements attributable to the proposed development. Prior to any impact fee assessment, the locality must identify the particular public facility needs in its comprehensive plan and must have in place a capital improvement program that provides a reasonable basis for determining the extent or level of inadequacy of such facilities in the area of the proposed development. If the locality does not apply impact fees paid by a developer to the capital project that served as the basis for such assessment within six years of collection, then the developer may seek a writ of mandamus to compel the locality to do so. | |||
| HB 72 - Marshall, R.G. - Building permit; localities may use impact fees for capital improvements. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Left in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Allows localities to adopt provisions for the assessment of impact fees prior to issuance of a building permit. The impact fees may be assessed in relation to the adequacy of education, transportation, parks, or public safety needs. Such fees shall be a pro-rata share of the costs of reasonable and necessary capital improvements attributable to the proposed development. Prior to any impact fee assessment, the locality must identify the particular public facility needs in its comprehensive plan and must have in place a capital improvement program that provides a reasonable basis for determining the extent or level of inadequacy of such facilities in the area of the proposed development. If the locality does not apply impact fees paid by a developer to the capital project that served as the basis for such assessment within six years of collection, then the developer may seek a writ of mandamus to compel the locality to do so. | |||
| HB 74 - Purkey - Real estate tax; limitation on rates by localities. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Left in Finance | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Requires each locality to lower its real estate tax rate for the forthcoming tax year to produce no more than the previous year's real property tax levies when any annual assessment, biennial assessment, or general reassessment of real property by the locality would result in an increase in the total real property tax levied. The locality may increase the rate above the reduced rate after a public hearing held no sooner than 30 days after the rate reduction. The bill has a delayed effective date of January 1, 2009. | |||
| HB 76 - Toscano - Recordation tax; changes basis on which are calculated. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Continued to 2009 in Finance | 02/04/08 |
| notes:
This bill does NOT create a Trust Fund. It Changes the basis on which recordation taxes are calculated on the transfer of real estate to the stated consideration for the real estate. Under current law the basis is the consideration for the real estate or the value of the real estate, whichever is greater. |
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| HB 77 - Toscano - Recordation tax; expands exemption for certain nonprofit providers of affordable housing. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Continued to 2009 in Finance | 02/07/08 |
| notes: Expands the recordation tax exemption for certain nonprofit providers of affordable housing by removing the restriction under current law that it is only applicable in Amherst County and the City of Lynchburg. | |||
| HB 82 - Marshall, R.G. - Single-family dwellings; fines for zoning violations related to overcrowding. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Left in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Provides for enhanced fines for any conviction resulting from a violation of provisions related to overcrowding of residential dwellings. The bill also authorizes zoning provisions to provide that any conviction resulting from a violation of provisions that prohibit a person from permitting a single-family residential dwelling owned by him to be occupied by any unrelated person who has no legal right to do so or in violation of any of the provisions regulating the number of unrelated persons in single-family residential dwellings shall be punishable by a fine of up to $1,500 for each such unrelated person. | |||
| HB 102 - Albo - Real estate tax; limitation on tax rate in localities. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Left in Finance | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Provides that the total tax revenue in a locality may not exceed 105% of the total tax revenue in the locality in the immediately prior year unless approved by at least a two-thirds majority vote of the local governing body. The bill applies for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2009. | |||
| HB 163 - Sherwood - Real estate tax; exemption or deferral for certain elderly and handicapped persons. | (H) Committee on Finance (S) Committee on Finance | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0208) | 03/06/08 |
| notes:
Permits localities to grant a real estate tax exemption or deferral to elderly and handicapped persons based upon projected income and financial worth for the current year under certain circumstances. Under current law, the previous year's income and financial worth is used. |
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| HB 183 - Marshall, R.G. - Real estate tax; exemption for elderly and handicapped persons legally present in United States. | (H) Committee on Rules | (H) Left in Rules | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Requires that persons seeking exemptions under current law demonstrate that they have a right to be legally present in the United States to be eligible. | |||
| HB 184 - Marshall, R.G. - Real estate tax; relief for certain rehabilitated, renovated, or replacement real property. | (H) Committee on Rules | (H) Left in Rules | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Requires that a person seeking partial tax exemptions or credits on real property taxes for certain rehabilitated, renovated, or replacement property demonstrate that he has the right to be legally present in the United States. | |||
| HB 215 - Alexander - Real estate tax; classification of residential property. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Continued to 2009 in Finance | 02/07/08 |
| notes: Permits localities to tax residential property at a lower tax rate than that imposed on the general class of real property by creating a separate classification for taxation purposes. If a locality imposes a lower tax rate on residential property, then thereafter the locality shall not increase the rate of taxation on the general class of real property. | |||
| HB 262 - Ware, O. - Housing loans and grants; localities to authorize in conservation or rehabilitation districts. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (S) Committee on Local Government | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0580) | 03/18/08 |
| notes: Grants authority to localities to make loans or grants of local funds to individuals for the purpose of rehabilitating owner-occupied residences or assisting in the purchase of an owner-occupied residence in designated conservation or rehabilitation districts. | |||
| HB 270 - Miller, P.J. - Real estate tax; exemptions for elderly and handicapped persons in certain cities and counties. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Incorporated by Finance (HB1503-Loupassi) | 02/04/08 |
| notes: Raises the maximum income eligibility restriction from $62,000 to $65,000 in the Cities of Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach and the Counties of Chesterfield, Goochland, and Henrico. | |||
| HB 272 - Miller, P.J. - Constitutional amendment; exempts certain homeowners from taxation (submitting to qualified voters). | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Incorporated by Privileges and Elections (HB11-Albo) | 01/25/08 |
| notes: Provides for a referendum at the November 2008 election on approval of a proposed constitutional amendment relating to property tax exemptions. The proposed amendment authorizes the General Assembly to enact legislation that will allow localities by ordinance to exempt or partially exempt from real property taxes, or defer real property taxes on, up to 20 percent of the value of residential or farm property that is the owner-occupant's primary dwelling and lived in continuously. | |||
| HB 289 - Englin - Rental assistance pilot project; Department of Housing and Community Development to establish. | (H) Committee on Appropriations | (H) Left in Appropriations | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Requires the Department of Housing and Community Development to establish a three-year rental assistance pilot project and to report its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the Housing Commission. | |||
| HB 304 - Nichols - Single-family dwellings; localities to limit occupancy. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Tabled in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/08/08 |
| notes: Requires localities to limit occupancy to no more than four unrelated persons. | |||
| HB 330 - McClellan - Affordable housing; price controls. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Incorporated by General Laws (HB879-Loupassi) | 02/08/08 |
| notes: Changes the current requirement, which localities may include in their affordable dwelling unit ordinances, that the prices for resales and rerentals be controlled by the authority or locality from "for a period of fifty years" after the initial sale or rental transaction for each affordable dwelling unit, to "at least 15 years." | |||
| HB 331 - McClellan - Real estate; assessments on damaged or destroyed buildings. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Continued to 2009 in Finance | 02/07/08 |
| notes: Removes certain blighted property, derelict property, and property on which drug blight exists from the categories of real property that have been damaged or destroyed that must be given a lower assessment before the usual next assessment date. | |||
| HB 332 - McClellan - Spot blight abatement; alternative procedure when owner of record fails to respond. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Passed by in General Laws with letter | 02/05/08 |
| notes: Provides for an alternative procedure for abating a blighted property when the owner of record fails to respond within the 30-day period with a written spot blight abatement plan that is acceptable to the chief executive. | |||
| HB 333 - McClellan - Automatic sprinkler systems; tax credit for initial installation. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Left in General Laws | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Requires that all buildings that (i) are more than 75 feet high or more than six stories high, (ii) are being used to house individuals or to provide guest rooms for occupancy, and (iii) are not equipped with an automatic sprinkler system would be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system by December 31, 2017. The Board of Housing and Community Development would be required to promulgate regulations establishing standards for the automatic sprinkler system. The bill also would make available to the owners of such building an income tax credit equal to 45% of the total amount paid by the owner for the initial installation of the sprinkler system. The tax credit could be carried forward for 10 years. | |||
| HB 465 - Watts - Real estate tax; exemptions for certain elderly and disabled persons with income limits. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Continued to 2009 in Finance | 01/28/08 |
| notes: Provides a local option formula for determing net combined financial worth that allows individuals who depend on investment income rather than pension income to qualify for real estate tax relief. | |||
| HB 511 - Dance - Vacant building registration; increases annual fee. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Left in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Increases the vacant building annual registration fee from $25 to $50. The bill also increases the civil penalty for failure to register such building from $50 to $75. | |||
| HB 617 - Amundson - Virginia Housing Trust Fund; creates dedicated source of funding via percentage of recordation tax. | (H) Committee on Appropriations | (H) Incorporated by Appropriations (HB1082-Suit) | 02/04/08 |
| notes:
Creates a dedicated source of funding through a percentage of the recordation tax to be used for the purpose of developing or preserving affordable or assessable housing in localities. Also, changes the name of the Fund from Virginia Housing Partnership Revolving Fund and establishes provisions for providing matching funds to localities. This bill is folded into Del. Suit's HB 1082, and then "carried-over" to 2009. That means that the subject matter will be heard over the course of the year. Constituents in favor of this bill should ask the GA members to support work to identify a source of revenue for the Trust Fund, the question that remains to be decided. |
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| HB 660 - Lewis - Manufactured homes; deemed real estate when equipment previously used for mobility removed. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on Transportation | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0178) | 03/05/08 |
| notes: Provides that a manufactured home is to be deemed real estate when equipment previously used for mobility has been removed and the unit is attached to the realty. | |||
| HB 720 - Oder - Landlord and tenant; definition of application fee, etc. and manner of serving notice to tenants. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0489) | 03/14/08 |
| notes: Adds, among other things, a definition of "application fee," caps the fee at $50, and provides that such fee is nonrefundable. The bill also defines "written notice" as notice, including any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed in or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic form or other medium, retrievable in a perceivable form, and regardless of whether an electronic signature is affixed. In cases where a tenant pays rent with a bad check, the bill also allows a landlord to seek an award of costs or attorney fees or the lesser of $250 or three times the amount of the bad check, draft or order as part of the damages requested on an unlawful detainer action, provided the landlord has given notice. The bill allows such notice to be included in the five-day termination notice at the option of the landlord. The bill contains specific provisions if the dwelling unit is a public housing unit or other housing unit subject to regulation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The bill contains technical amendments. | |||
| HB 778 - Kilgore - Recordation of deeds; required to be filed within 120 days of transaction. | (H) Committee for Courts of Justice | (H) Left in Courts of Justice | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Requires that a deed be filed for recordation within 120 days of the transaction that conveyed or transferred the real property that is the subject of the deed. | |||
| HB 791 - Ingram - Fort Lee Housing Enterprise Zone, created. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Left in Finance | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Establishes the Fort Lee Housing Enterprise Zone to encompass a 10-mile radius surrounding the Fort Lee military base located in Prince George County for the purpose of encouraging the construction, redevelopment, or rehabilitation of single- and multi-family housing in the zone. The bill also establishes the Housing Enterprise Zone Tax Credit available to persons who build or substantially redevelop or rehabilitate (i) a single-family home with a value of $250,000 or less or (ii) a multifamily housing project consisting of apartments with at least two bedrooms and renting for $750 or less per month, on property located within the Fort Lee Housing Enterprise Zone. In addition, the bill authorizes local governing bodies whose territory is contained within the Fort Lee Housing Enterprise Zone to establish a housing enterprise zone for the purpose of providing incentives and regulatory flexibility to encourage the construction, redevelopment, or rehabilitation of single- and multi-family housing in the zone. | |||
| HB 803 - Englin - VDOT; authority to account for workforce housing. | (H) Committee on Transportation | (H) Tabled in Transportation | 02/07/08 |
| notes: Grants VDOT full authority to account for workforce housing when negotiating the sale price of property being sold after it has acquired it in the course of any project. This accounting is to be made available to the Joint Commission on Transportation Accountability. | |||
| HB 804 - Englin - Consumer Real Estate Settlement Protection Act; interest on escrow accounts. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (H) Passed by in Commerce and Labor with letter | 01/29/08 |
| notes: Allows a settlement agent who is not an attorney to retain a portion of the interest received on funds deposited in connection with any escrow, settlement, or closing if (i) the settlement agent retains an amount not to exceed 10 percent of the interest earned on such deposits and (ii) the remainder of such interest is paid to the Department of Housing and Community Development to be used to support the statewide homeless intervention program administered by the Department . | |||
| HB 879 - Loupassi - Affordable dwelling unit ordinances; may establish requirement that prices for resale be controlled. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on Local Government | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0790) | 04/14/08 |
| notes: Provides that a locality establishing an affordable housing dwelling unit program in any ordinance may establish a requirement that the prices for resales and rerentals be controlled by the local housing authority or local governing body or designee for a period of not less than 15 years after the initial sale or rental transaction for each affordable dwelling unit, provided that the ordinance further provides for reasonable rules and regulations to implement a price control provision. Under current law, the prices for resales and rerentals may be controlled by the local housing authority or local governing body or designee for a period of 50 years after the initial sale or rental transaction for each affordable dwelling unit. | |||
| HB 883 - Toscano - Affordable housing; permitting certain densities in plan in City of Charlottesville. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (S) Committee on Local Government | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0311) | 03/11/08 |
| notes: Authorizes the City of Charlottesville to provide in its comprehensive plan for the physical development within the city for densities of development ranging between a floor area ratio (FAR) of 1.0 (1.0 FAR) and a floor area ratio of 10.0 (10.0 FAR) or greater in some or all parts of the city. The bill authorizes the City of Charlottesville to establish affordable housing contributions from developers as a condition of the governing body's approval of a special exception application for residential, commercial, or mixed-use projects with a density equal to or greater than 1.0 FAR. Under the bill, the provisions of the ordinance would allow the developer to provide on-site Affordable Dwelling Units, off-site Affordable Dwelling Units, or a cash contribution to the city's affordable housing fund in lieu of providing the units. | |||
| HB 958 - Shannon - Residential dwellings, non-owner occupied; local government authority to require registration. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Left in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Authorizes localities to require all non-owner occupied residential dwellings to be registered on an annual basis. Failure to register shall be a $50 civil penalty; however, failure to register in conservation and rehabilitation districts designated by the governing body, or in other areas designated as blighted, is punishable by a civil penalty not exceeding $250. | |||
| HB 976 - Shannon - Single lot development; developers to provide stormwater management. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Stricken from docket by Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/01/08 |
| notes: Provides that the developer of a single lot shall provide storm water management where substantial redevelopment of such lot is proposed. Substantial redevelopment" shall be deemed to occur when land-disturbing activities occur on more than 15 percent of the square footage of any single lot. | |||
| HB 997 - Bell - Residential Property Disclosure Act; condition of real property to include evidence of mold presence | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Left in General Laws | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Clarifies that the term "condition of the real property or any improvements thereon" shall include any visible evidence of the presence of mold. | |||
| HB 1008 - McClellan - Derelict structures; locality authorized to impose fee on record owner. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Passed by in General Laws with letter | 02/05/08 |
| notes: Authorizes a locality, by ordinance, to impose on the record owner of a derelict structure, an annual fee not to exceed three percent of the most recently assessed value of the derelict structure and the land upon which the structure is situated, provided (i) the locality has established a housing fund in accordance with subdivision B 6 of § 15.2-2305 and (ii) the annual fee is deposited in the housing fund. The bill provides for notice to the owner of such property and an opportunity to abate or remove the derelict structure within a certain time frame. The bill also allows a locality to abate or remove the derelict structure should the owner fail to act; the cost of which shall be a lien on the property. The bill defines derelict structure. | |||
| HB 1073 - Suit - Housing and Community Development, Department of; administration of the Private Activity Bonds. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0445) | 03/14/08 |
| notes: Transfers the administration of the Private Activity Bonds program from the Small Business Financing Authority to the Department of Housing and Community Development. The bill also increases the allocations for housing and industrial development. The bill provides that any unused bond authority remaining in any category after the effective period of the allocation set forth in guidelines established by the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development shall be allocated to the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) and any unused authority allocated to VHDA shall continue to be allocated to VHDA under certain circumstances. | |||
| HB 1078 - Suit - Vested rights and nonconforming uses; changes to provisions. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (S) Committee on Local Government | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0377) | 03/11/08 |
| notes: Makes several changes to the vested rights and nonconforming use provisions, including (i) that for purposes of triggering vested rights, a significant affirmative governmental act will occur when a local government has issued a building permit, the building or structure was thereafter constructed in accordance with the building permit, and upon completion of construction, the local government issued a certificate of occupancy or a use permit; (ii) that a locality shall use square footage and building code provisions in determining whether a nonconforming use has been enlarged or structurally altered; and (iii) providing that when a property owner has paid taxes to the locality for a building or structure for a period in excess of 15 years, a zoning ordinance may provide that such building or structure shall be nonconforming, but not illegal. | |||
| HB 1079 - Suit - Zoning, Board of; structure permitted by variance may be expanded under certain conditions. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns (S) Committee on Local Government | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0318) | 03/11/08 |
| notes: Deletes language from provisions regarding variances that states that variances shall be treated as conforming uses. | |||
| HB 1082 - Suit - Virginia Housing Trust Fund; creates dedicated source of funding via percentage of recordation tax. | (H) Committee on Appropriations | (H) Continued to 2009 in Appropriations | 02/04/08 |
| notes:
This is a Virginia Housing Trust Fund Bill: Changes the name of the Virginia Housing Partnership Revolving Trust Fund to the Virginia Housing Trust Fund. The bill provides for a percentage of the annual revenue collections from taxes and fees imposed pursuant to the Virginia Recordation Tax Act (§ 58.1-800 et seq.) that are in excess of the official estimates in the general appropriation act to be transferred to the Fund. The bill also provides that a portion of the fund shall be used to provide matching funds to localities that have both established a local housing fund and appropriated local moneys to the fund. Under the bill, the Department of Housing and Community Development is required to establish criteria for the allocation of the matching funds to eligible localities and to annually report on the allocation of matching funds. In addition, the bill authorizes grants to be made from the Fund to support innovative housing projects and low and moderate income housing projects that are located in areas experiencing extreme shortages of such housing. This bill is "carried-over" to 2009. That means that the subject matter will be heard over the course of the year. Constituents in favor of this bill should ask the GA members to support work to identify a source of revenue for the Trust Fund, the question that remains to be decided. |
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| HB 1085 - Englin - Fair housing law; unlawful discriminatory housing practice. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Left in General Laws | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Adds source of income to the list of unlawful discriminatory housing practices. The bill defines source of income as any lawful income used by a person to meet his obligation to pay for the purchase or lease of a dwelling, including payment with (i) federal funds received pursuant to public housing or Section 8 programs of the United States Housing Act of 1937, as amended; (ii) funds received from assistance made available under Chapter 1.2 (§ 36-55.24 et seq.) of Title 36; (iii) proceeds from a bequest, life insurance policy, annuity, or other like source; or (iv) funds received from child or spousal support payments. The bill contains technical amendments. | |||
| HB 1098 - Sickles - Wet Settlement Act; adds to definition of settlement. | (H) Committee on Commerce and Labor (S) Committee on Commerce and Labor | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0514) | 03/17/08 |
| notes: Provides that a determination by a settlement agent that prerecordation conditions in a real estate purchase contract have been satisfied shall not control the rights and obligations of the parties under the contract. | |||
| HB 1111 - Cole - Income tax, state; historic rehabilitation tax credit. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Left in Finance | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Changes the definition of "material rehabilitation" for the cost of rehabilitation expenses for owner-occupied buildings from 25 percent of the assessed value of the building for local real estate tax purposes to a flat $10,000 for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2008. | |||
| HB 1113 - Cole - Certificate of occupancy; imposition of fee for issuance. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Left in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/12/08 |
| notes:
Imposes a fee for the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for every building or structure that is neither exempt from taxation by law nor actually valued at less than $100,000 at the time such final certificate of occupancy is issued. The fee is due within 90 days of the issuance of such certificate of occupancy. The amount of the fee is equal to five percent of the actual value of such building or structure, exclusive of the first $100,000 of such actual value. The amount of the fee may, however, increase to five percent of the sales price of such building or structure, exclusive of the first $100,000 of such sales price, if no fee has been collected on such building or structure and such building or structure is sold within 90 days of the issuance of a certificate of occupancy; in this event, the amount of the fee is due and payable on the date of the settlement of the sale. Under all circumstances, the fee is capped at $20,000 per building or structure. Includes other provisions. |
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| HB 1119 - Miller, P.J. - Derelict structures; locality authorized to impose fee on record owner. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Passed by in General Laws with letter | 02/05/08 |
| notes:
Authorizes a locality, by ordinance, to impose on the record owner of a derelict structure, a fee not to exceed the lesser of $2,500 or 15 percent of the most recently assessed value of the derelict structure and the land upon which the structure is situated if such owner or owners fail to (i) respond in writing within 30 days from the date notice declaring such structure derelict is sent with an abatement or removal plan to be completed within a reasonable time or (ii) abate or remove the derelict structure within the time prescribed in a plan for abatement or removal which has been approved by the locality. Also, a locality may provide that any owner or owners of such derelict structure who fail to (i) respond to a notice in writing with an abatement or removal plan or (ii) abate or remove the derelict structure as prescribed in an approved plan, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $2,500. The bill also allows a locality to abate or remove the derelict structure should the owner fail to act; the cost of which shall be a lien on the property. The bill defines derelict structure. Newspaper article on the bill: http://hamptonroads.com/print/453037 |
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| HB 1210 - Melvin - Vacant building registration; enhances penalties for failure to register. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Requires 2/3 votes for passage | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Provides for enhanced penalties for failure to register vacant buildings. | |||
| HB 1264 - Hall - Consumer Real Estate Settlement Protection Act; licensing standards. | (H) Committee for Courts of Justice | (H) Stricken from House calendar | 02/08/08 |
| notes: Allows a person who has been convicted of a felony involving fraud, deceit or misrepresentation to be employed by a settlement agent and assist in the performance of escrow, closing or settlement services involving the receipt or disbursement of funds if he works under the direct supervision of a licensed attorney. | |||
| HB 1397 - Miller, J.H. - Real estate brokers and salespersons; required disclosures. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0741) | 04/14/08 |
| notes: Eliminates the requirement that required disclosures concerning the physical condition of the property made by real estate licensees be conspicuous and printed either in bold lettering or all capitals, and underlined or in a separate box. | |||
| HB 1405 - Hargrove - Residential Property Disclosure Act; disclosure of storage tanks. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Left in General Laws | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Requires the owner to disclose to the purchaser prior to settlement the presence of any aboveground or underground storage tanks on the property. The bill defines aboveground storage tank and underground storage tank. | |||
| HB 1479 - Lewis - Real estate tax; relief for nonrelatives of owner or certain caregivers of elderly and handicapped. | (H) Committee on Finance (S) Committee on Finance | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0334) | 03/11/08 |
| notes: Includes the income of nonrelatives living in the dwelling of the owner seeking tax relief, except for bona fide tenants, in computing the maximum income limits to be eligible for the tax relief. Under current law, only the income of relatives living in the dwelling are included with that of the owner's in determining eligibility. | |||
| HB 1503 - Loupassi - Real estate tax; exemptions for elderly and handicapped persons in certain cities and counties. | (H) Committee on Finance (S) Committee on Finance | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0231) | 03/06/08 |
| notes: Raises the maximum income eligibility restriction from $62,000 to $65,000 in the Cities of Charlottesville, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach and the Counties of Chesterfield, Goochland, and Henrico. | |||
| HB 1560 - Lingamfelter - Real estate taxes; requires localities to permit real property owners to defer portion thereof. | (H) Committee on Finance | (H) Incorporated by Finance (HB1009-Hugo) | 02/07/08 |
| notes: Requires localities to permit real property owners to defer that portion of real estate taxes that exceed 105 percent of the previous year's tax. | |||
| HJ 3 - Brink - Constitutional amendment; exempts certain homeowners from taxation (second reference). | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Incorporated by Privileges and Elections (HJ4-Albo) | 01/25/08 |
| notes: "Homestead exemption" - Authorizes the General Assembly to enact legislation that will allow localities by ordinance to exempt from real property taxes, or defer real property taxes on, up to 20 percent of the value of residential or farm property that is the owner- occupant's primary dwelling and lived in continuously. | |||
| HJ 4 - Albo - Constitutional amendment; exempts certain homeowners from taxation (second reference). | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (S) Continued to 2009 in Privileges and Elections | 02/25/08 |
| notes: "Homestead exemption" - Authorizes the General Assembly to enact legislation that will allow localities by ordinance to exempt from real property taxes, or defer real property taxes on, up to 20 percent of the value of residential or farm property that is the owner- occupant's primary dwelling and lived in continuously. | |||
| HJ 18 - Lingamfelter - Constitutional amendment; property tax exemption for certain veterans (first reference). | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Continued to 2009 in Privileges and Elections | 01/18/08 |
| notes: Requires the General Assembly to maintain permanent and separate Transportation Funds to include the Commonwealth Transportation Fund, Transportation Trust Fund, and Highway Maintenance and Operating Fund. All revenues dedicated to Transportation Funds on January 1, 2007, by general law, other than a general appropriation law, shall be deposited to the Transportation Funds, unless the General Assembly by general law, other than a general appropriation law, alters the revenues dedicated to the Funds. The amendment limits the use of Fund moneys to transportation and related purposes. The General Assembly may borrow from the Funds for other purposes only by a vote of two-thirds plus one of the members voting in each house, and the loan or reduction must be repaid with reasonable interest within four years. | |||
| HJ 22 - Marshall, R.G. - Residential and commercial development, new; joint subcommittee to study identifiable costs. | (H) Committee on Rules | (H) Incorporated by Rules (HJ178-Athey) | 02/05/08 |
| notes: Establishing a joint subcommittee to study the identifiable costs of new residential and commercial development in Virginia and the manner in which those costs are currently borne or would likely be borne. Report. | |||
| HJ 56 - Miller, P.J. - Constitutional amendment; exempts certain homeowners from taxation (second reference). | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (H) Incorporated by Privileges and Elections (HJ4-Albo) | 01/25/08 |
| notes: Authorizes the General Assembly to enact legislation that will allow localities by ordinance to exempt from real property taxes, or defer real property taxes on, up to 20 percent of the value of residential or farm property that is the owner- occupant's primary dwelling and lived in continuously. | |||
| HJ 108 - Caputo - Affordable housing; Departments of Housing and Community Development, and Taxation to study. | (H) Committee on Rules | (H) Left in Rules | 02/12/08 |
| notes: Directs the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Department of Taxation to study incentives for affordable housing. They are to complete their work by November 30, 2008. | |||
